Villa Albertine's Innovative Residency Welcomes 70+ New Artists and Creators To Their 2023 Cohort

Villa Albertine, a cultural institution established by the French Government to deepen cultural connections between France and the US, today announced the 2023 cohort of artists, researchers, and cultural professionals selected for its groundbreaking residency program. Open to creatives of all nationalities, Villa Albertine residencies are customized to the needs of each resident, allowing them to embed in the American city of their choice and draw creative inspiration from the communities and cultural landscape surrounding them. Working in collaboration with Villa Albertine staff located in 10 cities across the US and local partner institutions, the residents will touch down in 30 American cities throughout 2023 for one-to-three-month exploratory projects that engage with the great global issues of our time.

2023 Villa Albertine residents represent 15 nationalities, including French, and 13 creative disciplines, from cinema to music, comics, video games, and more. Among the 70 residencies selected for 2023, 40 will be based in a single city of their choice, 20 will embark on nomadic projects across several cities, and 10 will take part in an exploratory project in the field of dance, in the tradition of "10 in America", a film project established in 2022 with the inaugural cohort of residents.

"With this first call for applications, Villa Albertine hoped to spark new curiosity and a sense of possibility for cultural dialogue, locally and internationally. More than 700 artists, thinkers, and cultural leaders answered the invitation with creative projects that explore identity, rebuild community, confront crises, and much more," said Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States and Chairman of Villa Albertine.

Diverse in both background and specialty, the 2023 residents include award-winning established creators, such as Palme d'Or-winning film director Julia Ducournau (Titane), Goncourt Prizewinning author Leïla Slimani (The Perfect Nanny), and award-winning architects Frédéric Chartier and Pascale Dalix, along with up-and-coming talents, including visual artist Sara Ouhaddou, digital artist Diane Cescutti, beatboxer and producer Djellali Elouzeri, filmmakers Diane Sara Bouzgarrou and Thomas Jenkoe, textile artist Chloé Bensahel and more.

"In the eight months since we launched Villa Albertine, our new model of customized, country-wide residencies has taken a life of its own, enabling creative explorations that we could not have imagined or planned," said Gaëtan Bruel, Director of Villa Albertine. "The applicants that our jury selected for 2023 proposed projects that are impactful, diverse, and take full advantage of this new residency model. We can't wait to see where their projects lead.

The call for applications for Villa Albertine's 2023 Residencies was open to creatives of all nationalities from October 2021 to January 2022. The first round of finalists was selected by 40+ local cultural experts in each of Villa Albertine's 10 cities. The final selection was made by an international jury comprised of cultural leaders from both sides of the Atlantic: Nonny De la Peña, Founder, Emblematic Group and Founding Director, Narrative and Emerging Media Program, Arizona State University; Gina Duncan, President of BAM; Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Laurent Le Bon, President of the Centre Pompidou; Glenn D. Lowry, David Rockefeller Director of the Museum of Modern Art; and Marie-Cécile Zinsou, President of the Zinsou Foundation. The jury was chaired by Gaëtan Bruel, Director of Villa Albertine.